Goryokaku Tower Tickets

From the ground, Goryokaku park in Hakodate is a pleasant moat and some old walls. From the top of Goryokaku Tower, it snaps into focus as a vast five pointed star, one of Japan’s most extraordinary pieces of fortification, and the tower exists for precisely that reveal. The star fort was built at the end of the samurai era and became the stage for the final battle of the Boshin War.

The star from above

The observation deck delivers the full geometric spectacle, with the fort’s star outlined by moats and, in season, by cherry blossoms or snow, two of the great seasonal sights of Hokkaido. Exhibits around the deck tell the story of the fort and the short lived Republic of Ezo with models and English text, giving the view its history. Look the other way and Hakodate spreads toward its harbour and mountain.

Below the tower

Leave time to walk into the fort itself, over the moat and among the walls, where the reconstructed magistrate’s office anchors the interior. In cherry season the moats and ramparts fill with locals picnicking under more than a thousand trees, and rowboats appear on the water. Spring and deep winter offer the two most photogenic versions of the star.

Getting there

Ride the Hakodate streetcar to the Goryokaku-Koen-mae stop, then walk about ten to fifteen minutes toward the park. From Hakodate Station the tram takes roughly fifteen minutes, and buses also serve the area. The tower stands beside the fort entrance, impossible to miss.

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